for several weeks, I admit that they SEEM to run better than PCs (but I haven't really gotten to test them extensively, seeing as how my teacher is crazy). I would like to point out, however, that there is a difference between a healthy use of keyboard shortcuts, which I've found in PC computers, and a UI that breeds a complete dependence on the keyboard. Seriously. You cannot do ANYTHING without holding down some command key or another. On a PC you have to such keys, plus one more that I don't count because it only brings up the start menu (good!). They are labeled Alt and CTRL. Mac programmers don't even have the decency to refer to their "Option", "Command", or "Control" keys as such, but instead with these freaky symbols that, at a glance, have nothing to do with the keys they represent.

Bah. I'm sure you get used to it eventually, but in the meantime I'm looking through menus in programs and all the shortcuts look like ancient hieroglyphics. And is it too much to ask for a RIGHT CLICK? I feel like I should just learn to type completely one-handed so I'm always prepared.

Other than that, my only issues are things that are simply different than the PC layout, not especially better or worse. I'm sure the Dock would be more intuitive to me if I hadn't grown up on Microsoft.

Quote from Twisted Coil by Guilt Machine. Technically it's not a band, just a project. One album. A handle of some very good songs, and some filler. Very artistic, very "out there". So progressive it hurts. My favorite song is called Perfection? (yes, that is a question mark). It has 3 distinct parts, the third being a reprise for the first two. Beautifully written and performed.

A few nights ago I saw Paranormal Activity with the guys. At first it seemed that we had the entire theater to ourselves, so we talked loudly, giggled madly, and sang a rendition of Day Man. But then people started coming in so we got quiet.

Pretty OK movie. Scary at the price of plot. I can deal with that. I was worried that I'd actually lose sleep over it, but I only scared myself for about 5 minutes when I got back.

In the parking lot, John and I were walking towards the rear door of the Red Raver because Kyle had shotgun. He opened the door, and even though I was standing a bit behind him, I dashed for the opening because it was cold outside and I wanted to get in first. He caught me, though, and we struggled mightily as he tried to sit in the seat and I tried to worm behind him to the seat next to him.

I ended up with my head in the leg space with John sitting in his seat next to me. We couldn't stop laughing. He was like, "Why did you DO that?"

Out of all the things I've had to cry about, I cry for a guy who I don't even know personally, who I didn't particularly like when I heard of him, and who technically isn't even dead yet.

I was sitting there looking at his facebook page. We weren't friends and it's private so all I can see his is profile picture. But it's enough.

He was someone everyone at Boys State knew OF, even if they never met him face to face...he ran for and won the Vice Governorship. I didn't like him because...oh, I dunno. I didn't like his slogan or something. I'm picky. It's not like I didn't personally like him, just not his campaign.

Now his parents are deciding whether to keep in on life support or not. BAM, there it is, take it or leave it. What the hell.

One of my favorite instrumental pieces. It reminds me of a book I read a long time ago called the Transall Saga, I think.

Yesterday was actually a pretty good day. It started off on a bad turn...I was working on my IA at sometime between 3:05 and 3:50 (I was confused) and decided I would take a short nap. I set an alarm on my computer for an hour later, and went to sleep on the bed behind me.

Apparently, that alarm didn't wake me up. MOM woke me up at 7...and I still had about 2/5s of my paper to write.

Thankfully, the teacher purposefully set the due date on TurnItIn.com to 10AM, so I was able to skip my first class, finish my paper, turn it in electronically, and then make to my second class and turn it in physically.

After that, though, it was a pretty sweet day. Probably because it was the end of a terrible week.

AND THEN, I went to Dance Rawr Dance in Charlotte. I only knew that Family Force 5 was going to be there, and they certainly rocked my socks off. There was another band there called Queens Club, or something, and they were pretty cool. Cash Cash was a bit annoying, though they were certainly energetic. The third band (right before FF5) was Breathe Carolina, and I was severely disappointed. It was this sort of combo of dance and screamo, which isn't terrible in and of itself, except that every song they played was nearly the same: Same throbbing one-two beat (Which is probably because the drummer barely kept in time when the drum part got any more complicated,) same singing/growling duo, same basic theme (UGH), and completely lame lyrics. It's easy to get a crowd jumping with the beat, but you could at least TRY to write decent lyrics. They described everything in their songs as "fuckin'." Trash-tastic. They even put the word in a Miley Cyrus cover. IF SHE DIDN'T, NEITHER SHOULD YOU.

But I actually got my butt off the balcony and went down into the crowd to mosh and jump and go nuts for FF5. It was simply a blast. I got the remix CD of Dance Or Die, which is OK. Plus I got this sweet shirt. Yes sir, that is metallic foil. And it's REALLY soft. :D

Today, though, is my crowning joy: I beat AIDS Microsoft. The more I dug into the Zune problem, the more I found that there were several issues on my computer that I was ignoring or hadn't noticed, like the User Account page being blank, a missing Search function, Internet Explorer apparently having no version (the field was just blank), Google Chrome not being able to update, Windows Update not working, etc. As it turns out, they were all connected. Through 4 days of searching forums, I narrowed it all down to the wuapi.dll file. It was where it was supposed to be, but I couldn't register it. I admit that I did some extra searching before I realized I could just download the correct file and replace the broken one.

>.>

But I did that, and POOF! Most of the problems vanished. The Microsoft Update site still stops and says that the website is having issues, but at least now it registers that I do, in fact, have the correct files registered on my computer.

I never called Tech Support. Suck that, Mom.

And now! I sign in to Zune, link my player, start my Zune Pass trial, and rock out to some Disney tunes.

EDIT: Microsoft tried to sucker punch me with a little glitch that occurs if the address line on the credit card is different than what you put in when you sign up for the Pass, but I tracked down the issue and, luckily for me, remembered that my mom tends to abbreviate "south" to "s" in the address line, while I don't. Retry>Fix>Success>waPOW!